One of the last remaining strategies in the Inland Empire homebuilding industry’s arsenal to kick start new home sales is gaining some traction, although a local association chapter says there’s still much more to be done.

Developer impact fees across San Bernardino County – ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 per house – are temporarily being reduced by a few cities and school districts at the behest of homebuilders who are trying to complete empty lots.

Now the challenge is persuading a multitude of other cities to follow suit.

“We haven’t seen development impact fees come down in the same manner that (home) prices have come down,” said Jeff Simonetti, vice president of government affairs for the Rancho Cucamonga-based Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California.

The chapter and its member builders are trying to meet with most cities in the county over the next 30 to 60 days to plead with them on the issue.

Several homebuilders complained about the costly fees during the housing boom, and they rallied against them even more so when the market crashed, arguing that lowering fees is key to helping the industry rebound.

Impact fees vary widely from project to project, but the average total fee charged per home across California is $50,000 and tops $100,000 in certain areas, the association estimates.

Homebuilders pay the fees up front, which municipalities use to pay for the impacts of new residents on roads, sewers and infrastructure projects. Builders pass the expense on to home buyers.

Several Inland Empire cities increased their fees during the housing boom, adding to the already-rising home price phenomenon that eventually turned into a bubble.

Since then, Adelanto and Victorville – two of the Inland Empire’s most devastated areas from the housing crash – are the only cities in the county that have slashed their fees temporarily, Simonetti said. Fees for both cities dropped about 50 percent.

Meanwhile, developer impact fees in Big Bear Lake and Barstow have risen since 2007, but the cities have agreed to temporarily hold off on raising them much higher.

Riverside County announced last week it would cut its impact fees in half for one year, and Beaumont, Corona and Menifee have already reduced their fees.

One municipal development expert says it’s hard to know if other cities in San Bernardino County will follow suit since they’re all in different situations.

“Cities in development mode versus non-development mode – you’ve got different scenarios out there,” said Don Williams, community development director for Fontana.

Fontana’s City Council and Planning Commission met with builders and builder association officials Friday in a joint-session workshop to discuss the situation. Time will tell whether the City Council votes to reduce fees.

“Their argument is, `Hey, we’re in the doldrums. We need fees lowered’,” Williams said about homebuilders. “But you ask them directly, `If we lower fees, are you going to start building homes?’ There’s not a clear answer to that.”

While new home prices have fallen drastically and new home sales have experienced a small uptick because of the state’s temporary new homebuyer tax credit, one builder said that dropping fees for 12 to 18 months could help give the industry the extra boost it needs.

“If I can get the fees to come down $7,500 to $10,000 on a $300,000 house, that’s a good percentage,” said Terry Kent, vice president of sales and marketing at Crestwood Communities, who was part of the Fontana meeting. “That does get passed down to the consumer.”

In fact, a $10,000 drop in impact fees for certain Crestwood homes could actually lower the purchase price up to $50,000 when you factor in the fees’ lending and administrative costs, Kent said. Builders often have to borrow the money.

The industry is shaping its argument from an economic standpoint. If it can sell more homes, it can start building new ones.

“We’re looking for a little help from the cities to get going again,” Kent added. “Every new house that we put on the ground creates three permanent jobs. I hope they see the value in it.”

Simonetti agrees.

“The housing market, unfortunately, led us into this,” Simonetti said, “but it’s going to get us back out as well.”